Steph McGovern's Packed Lunch cancelled by Channel 4

Image source, PA Media

Channel 4 daytime show Steph's Packed Lunch is to end at the end of the year, the broadcaster has announced.

The live daily show launched from host Steph McGovern's living room during the first Covid lockdown in 2020.

It then moved to a studio in Leeds, and was the channel's main offering from the city when it opened a new base there with about 250 staff.

C4 said it had to make "difficult decisions" because audience habits were "changing quicker than ever".

In a statement, the channel said it was "incredibly proud" of the magazine programme and "so grateful" to McGovern and the production team "for creating a show that kick-started our growth in the north of England".

It continued: "Steph has not only made the nation's lunchtimes more entertaining and brilliantly reflected the views and preoccupations of the country, but the show has also been an outstanding springboard for developing local talent behind the scenes.

"However, with audience habits changing quicker than ever, we have to make difficult decisions about which programmes to invest in to best drive our digital-first strategy, and we have decided not to recommission Steph's Packed Lunch when its existing production contract ends in December 2023."

The show runs from 12:00 to 14:10 every day and attracts about 140,000 viewers, putting it behind other main channels at that time.

Channel 4 said it remained "as committed as ever to our mission to help level up the TV industry outside London" and to its target of spending 50% of its programme budget outside London.

It said it would reinvest the money currently used for Steph's Packed Lunch on other shows made outside the capital, but did not give details. It also has offices in Bristol and Glasgow.

"We have almost 500 roles outside of London and this will continue to increase over the next few years," the statement added.

A spokesperson for Steph's Packed Lunch's production companies Expectation and Can Can said they had enjoyed "three fantastic years" working with "the brilliant Steph McGovern and the outstanding on-screen family of talent".

But they added: "We're very disappointed that despite building a loyal audience we don't get to continue brightening up 12-2 on Channel 4.

"Leeds didn't have a live television community four years ago and it's been a privilege to build a team which boasts some of the brightest, sharpest TV producers in the country."